What's the Big Idea?

What do you use every day that you don't believe you could exist without?

These things were invented in the 20th-21st century (quick: what century is this?)

Airplanes (and look how they have progressed!)
-Leonardo da Vinci may not have invented planes, but he drew up plans for hang gliders and helicopters long before Igor Sikorsky actually made the first flying machines.

DaVinci's sketch of a helicopter, circa 1470...It had to do with his fascination with screws that could be used to build sturdier things... Of course, this design was a monumental fail.....But he had the concept down...

Radio
TV

Computer
-John Vatanasoff invented the digital computer; Douglas Engelbart invented the computer mouse.

                                                Yes, this was an early computer. Nice compact size, yes?

The concept of the Internet was first introduced in 1964, as a means to share information between universities and the Dept. of Defense. Many people participated in developing the idea; there is no one person who can claim to have 'invented' the Internet.

-Let's not forget Johann Gutenberg, who invented the first mechanical printing machine so more books could be published faster...

The Gutenberg Printing Press-Monks everywhere were very relieved. Why was that?

-Robert Moog invented the Moog Synthesizer, the forerunner of today's electronic music.

Telephone
-Alexander Graham Bell invented the phone in an attempt to help his mother and his wife, both of whom were deaf.

Cordless home phone
Cell phone
Escalator
Radar
-It's not just for speeding tickets: Radar also is used to track weather, for air traffic control, and for missile guidance.

   .Each little plane represents one in the air. Yellow are 'real time,' orange are '5 minute delay.' They are visible by using radar. Air Traffic Controllers: You are epic.
 

Jet engine
Laser
Polio Vaccine
  -Before the Polio Vaccine, this disease which causes wasting of muscles and permanent paralysis affected up to 20,000 people every year.

Antibiotics
-Imagine dying from an infected finger; a cold that led to pneumonia; strep; or an infected tooth? This happened all the time before antibiotics. Remember, they also help our pets and other animals. Measles, chicken pox, tetanus, and whooping cough were all fatal diseases before we had vaccines for them.

                                                  Thanks for inventing Penicillin, Alex Fleming!

Pacemaker (device to help the heart beat more regularly)
Microwave oven
Ipod, ITunes, Iphone
Electric Car
-Karl Benz invented the automobile. Nils Bohlin invented seat belts.

                                           The First Automobile... Looks like a glorified bike to me.

Movie Camera
-And now we have them on our phones..

                                                                   First Movie Camera

YouTube
Seriously. Who could live without clever YouTubes?  (not to mention instructions on how to do virtually everything)  ...For a whole lot of creative ideas, including a gorilla, a dragon, soccer, morphing cars and train, and a race....Check this out:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_m8Xc8B3RE


Blue Ray Players
Facebook

Convenience foods---

Most of us enjoy Frosted Flakes, Skippy, Coke, and frozen dinners, right (probably and hopefully not in one sitting)?

Thanks to John Kellogg for boxed ready-to-eat cereal, Clarence Birdseye for frozen foods, John Pemberton for Coca-Cola, and George Carver for peanut butter.

And in our humble opinion, thank you a thousand times to Ruth Wakefield, who in 1937 came up with one of the most important food inventions in the history of mankind: Chocolate chips. By the way, the chocolate originally came in a little bar with a tool to break it into 'chips,' before someone decided to make little drops of chocolate.

 

 'My Precious.'

How could you become an inventor? If you can think up solutions to problems or inconveniences, or a clever way for us to communicate or amuse ourselves, you're on your way. A degree in these fields would be helpful:

*Engineering: Chemical, computer, mechanical, biological, automotive
*Biology
*Medicine
*Chemistry



Check these out:

http://bozgo.com/strange-and-interesting-inventions/  scroll down and be impressed.

 

And here's one unique invention:

: http://www.scienceandinventions.com/weird-strange-inventions/

What will you invent? Keep Thinking!